Description

Serve this main dish pasta salad for lunch or a light dinner. It is chock full of ground beef, cheese, pasta and veggies.

Ingredients

• 16 oz. spiral pasta
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 3/4 c. water
• 1 envelope taco seasoning, your choice of mildness
• 8 oz. shredded Mexican cheddar cheese
• 1 large green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped or 2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 1/2 oz. sliced ripe black or green olives, drained
• 16 oz. Catalina or Western salad dressing
• 3 c. shredded lettuce, optional
• tortilla chips, optional

Steps

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again.
2. Meanwhile, in a pan or a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add water and taco seasoning; simmer, uncovered 15 minutes.
3. Place cooked pasta in a large bowl. Add cooked beef mixture, cheese, green pepper, onion, tomato and olives; mix well. If desired, add in shredded lettuce. Add salad dressing and toss to coat.